Garage door lock



Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE one-half to D. Calif.

C. Bontecou,

Los Angeles,

Application March 10, 1939, Serial No. 260,986

13' Claims.

My invention relates to a simple and positive lock for use on doors of the type employed in garages and supported so that they will swing ona horizontal axis from closed position to a 5 raised position wherein the door member is disposed in a horizontal plane extending through or near the upper member of the door frame.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a lock for doors of this character which may be readily applied, which is of such type that the normal Warping of the door structure will not cause the lock to become ineffective or bound, which may be locked or unlocked from either the interior or the exterior of the housing or garage to which the doors apply and which by the use of relatively simple and inexpensive parts will positively hold the door in closed position.

It is an object of the invention to provide a door lock having a member which may be projected from an edge of the door and which by end engagement with an abutment member prevents opening of the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lock'for a door which swings on an axis parallel to and spaced from the central portion of the door, this lock including a locking member disposed tangentially or on a chord with respect to a curved line generated around the axis and so as to be moved in tangential or chordal direction into a projecting position. to engage an abutment disposed so that it will not be struck by the edge of the door as the door is swung between opened and closed positions.

A further object of. the invention is to provide a lock for a door of the character described in the preceding paragraph including a bar guided. by outer and inner guide means so as to be moved into projecting position and. having a lock means for securing the bar at least in its projecting position, there being an abutment positioned so-as to be engaged by the outer end of the bar when the same is projected.

4 It is a further object of the inventionv to provide a door lock comprising a locking bar movably supported on the door and an abutment supported so as to engage the end of the locking bar when the same is projected, this locking- 55, the lock ineffective, since the lock does not de-" pend for its locking action on entering an opening in a locking plate.

A further object is to provide a door lock including a bar slidable on the inner face of the door and being so placed with relation to a operating locking plate that the bar operates in axial compression to, prevent opening of the door.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary section on a vertical plane extending through a door in closed relation to a door opening provided by a door frame.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the vertical plane referred to in the preceding paragraph, showing the locking means and cooperating portions of the door and frame to enlarged scale. i

Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken as indicated by the arrow 3 of Fig. 2, the door and frame partsbeingshown in broken lines.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken as indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 3.

To provide a simple illustration of my invention I have shown a portion of a housing It, ordinarily a garage, having a door frame H including side members such as shown at l2 and a top member or lintel l3. A door I4, shown in closed position relative to the door frame H is supported by brackets l5 so that it will swing around an axis. A which extends horizontally and is. spaced. from the central portion of the door M. At each end of the door M an angle member [6 may be secured, and a bracket l5 for supporting the door may be formed by extending bars I] from the angle Hi to a block l8 which is pivotally supported on a stub shaft or pin I9 located on the axis A. To have a counterbalancing action on the door It, a spring 2| is applied, as shown, one end of this spring being connected through a hook 22 with a support 23 mounted on a side wall 24 of the housing l0, and the other end of the spring 2| being connected by means of a hook 25 with one of a series of openings 26 in the upper bar H.

The door [4' may be swung upward around the axis A from a position in which it is shown in full lines to its dotted line position Ma, at which time the door I4 extends in an overhead horizontal plane. The upper edge 21 of the door l4 passes through an are 28 as it is swung between closed and opened positions, and, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper edge 21 will engage the lower edge of an inner door trim member 30 secured to or forming a part of the upper member l3. My improved door lock includes an abutment member 3| which is secured to the member 30 in such position spaced from the upper edge 21 of the door l4 that as the upper edge 21 swings along the are 28 it will pass the lowest point of the abutment member 3|.

To prevent opening of the door I4 I provide a member 32 which may be projected from the upper edge 2! so as to engage the abutment member 3|. This member 32 when in projecting relation, as shown in Fig. 2, tends to move upward when a lifting force is applied to the door l4 in an attempt to raise the same, but such upward movement of the door I4 is prevented by reason of the fact that the upper end of the member 32 will engage the lower face 33 of the member 3|. The member 32 is the upper end of a locking bar 34 which is slidably secured to the rear face of the door l4 in such position that it will lie along a line which extends from an interior portion of the door to the upper edge thereof. A feature of the invention is to place the lock element 32 so that it will lie on a line occupying a position which may be described as chordal to a circle inscribed around the axis of rotation of the door l4. For example, the bar member 32 lies on a chord of the circle of which the are 28 is a part, and it also lies on a line which is tangent to a circle of smaller size inscribed around the axis of rotation of the door I4. The bar 34 is preferably vertical and its upper and lower portions are guided so that it may be moved between the retracted position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 and the projecting or locked position in which it is shown in Fig. 2. The upper guide means for the bar 34 may consist of a plate 35 having an opening 36, or it may consist of an opening 31 in the wood upper edge strip 38 of the door M. The lower guide means for the bar 34 comprises a Z-plate 40, secured to the inner face of the door M by means of screws 4| and the end face 42 of a locking device 43. The lower end 44, of the bar 34, is preferably flattened and extends into a vertical opening 45 formed by the end face 42 of the lock 43, the wall of the door, the web 41 and the flange 48 of the Z-plate 40. An arm 50 projects forward from the bar 34 through a vertical slot 5| in the door l4, and a ring 52 may be secured to the bar 34 in a position to project away from the wall of the door. The bar 34 may be lifted to its raised position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by the manual application of lifting force to either of the members 50 or 52.

The locking means 43 comprises a door lock of the type known as a spring latch, or night latch, having a knob 53 accessible from the interior of the garage by which the bolt 54 of the lock may be withdrawn and having a-lock barrel 55 to project through the door I4, to which a key may be applied from the exterior of the. garage so as to retract the bolt 54. The lock 43 forms a means for holding the bar 34 in projecting position, the bolt 54 thereof projecting under the lower end 44 when the bar 34 is raised, and providing a shoulder on which the bar may rest when it is in projecting or looking position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When it is desired to release the locking means, the bolt 54 is retracted by application of a key from the exterior of the door, or if it is desired to release the locking means from the interior of the garage, the knob 53 is merely turned, whereupon the bar 34 will drop down to retracted position. At this time, release of the retracting force from the bolt 54, either by the application of a key or through turning the knob 53, will permit the end of the boll-.54 to be spring-pressed against the side face of the lower end portion 44 of the bar 34. Thereafter, with the door M in closed position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the actuation of the locking means may be accomplished merely by lifting the rod 34 to such an extent that the bolt 54 may pass under the lower end portion 44 thereof to retain the same in its raised or looking position.

The abutment member 3| comprises a bracket which may be bent from steel plate so as to provide a base wall 56, an outstanding or substantially horizontal wall 57, and a downwardly projecting flange 58 which forms a shoulder 59 projecting downward from the horizontal wall 51. In the normal operation of the locking device, the bar 34 is raised so that the upper end face of the upper end portion 32 is in a face to face position with the lower face 33 of the wall 51. With the bar 34 in raised position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the application of a lifting force to the door 4 will force the end of the bar 34 against the face 33 and movement of the door in upward direction will be resisted by compression in the bar 34. Since the locking effect is accomplished through a face to face engagement of the bar 34 and the wall 51 of the member 3|, there does not have to be a nicety'of alignment between these parts, and after the installation of the door lock normal warpage of either the door M or the frame II will not disalign the parts 3| and 34 to an extent rendering the door lock inoperative. If desired there may be a flange such as 58 projecting downward on allsides of the face or shoulder 33.

Any suitable stop for limiting the downward movement of the bar 34 may be provided. It may be any wall at the lower end of the vertical slot 5|, or, as specifically shown in the drawing, it may be a wood door reinforcing member Ell placed so that its upper face will lie close to the lock 43 and provide a shelf to be engaged by the lower end face of the bar 34 when the bar is in retracted position.

I have shown a simple and practical form of my invention. It is recognized that certain parts or elements thereof may be replaced by other parts or elements of similar function. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing disclosure but is limited in scope only by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. For use in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, a locking means comprising a locking member; means for supporting said locking member on said door so that it may be moved from a retracted position to a projected position so that when projected from retracted position it will be on a line disposed as a chord to a curved line generated around said axis; an abutment supported so as to be engaged by the end face of said locking member when the same is in projected position; means for moving said locking member into said projected position; and means to hold said locking member in its projected position.

2. For use in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, va locking means comprising a locking member means supporting said locking member on said. door so. that the same may be projected from the upper edge of said door; an abutment carried by said door'frame in a position to: clear the upper edge. of said door as said door swings and being positioned so as to be engaged by the end face of said locking member when the same is projected from said door in closed. relation; means for. moving said locking member into projected position; and means to lock said member in said projected position thereof.

3. For use. in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, a locking means comprising a locking bar; means for supporting said locking bar on said door so that it may be moved from a retracted position to a projected position from. the upper edge of said door; an abutment. carried by said door frame in a position to clear the upper edge of said door as said door swings and being positioned so as to be engaged by the end face of said locking bar when the same is projected from said door in closed relation, said abutment having a substantially horizontal wall portion and a rib projecting downward from said horizontal wall portion in crossing relation to the movement of said locking bar as said door is swung; means for moving said locking bar into projected position; and means to lock said bar in said projected position thereof.

4.. For use in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, a locking means comprising a locking bar; means for supporting said locking bar on said door so that it may be moved from a retracted position to a projected position from the upper edge of said door; an abutment carried by said door frame in a position to clear the upper edge of said door as said door swings and being positioned so as to be engaged by the end face of said locking bar when the same is projected from said door in closed relation, said abutment having a downwardly faced abutting wall presented to the end of said locking bar and a shoulder projecting downward from said abutting wall; means for moving said locking bar into projected position; and means to lock said bar in said projected position thereof.

5. For use in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, a locking means comprising: a locking bar with means for supporting it on the back of said door so as to extend along a line from an intermediate portion of the door to the upper edge thereof and so that said bar may be moved so as to project the upper end thereof beyond the upper edge of said door; an abutment bracket securable to the upper part of said door frame and having a downwardly presented abutment face to be engaged by said end of said bar when it is projected from said upper edge of said door, and said bracket having a downwardly projecting shoulder spaced from the front edge thereof; means whereby said bar may be engaged from the exterior of said door so as to raise said bar to a position with the end thereof projecting from said upper edge of said door; and lock means to engage said bar so as to hold the same in raised position.

6. For use in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, a locking means comprising: a locking bar disposed on the back face of said door and on a line which extends from an intermediate portion of said door to the.v upper edge. thereof; guide means near the upper edge of. said: door for guiding the upper portion of said bar; guide means for the lower portion of said bar, said guide means guiding said bar so. that it may be moved so as to bring the upper end. into a position projecting from the upper edge of said door; an abutment bracket securable to. the upper part of said door frame and having a downwardly presented abutment face to be engaged by said end of said bar when it is projected from said upper edge of said door and said; bracket having a downwardly projecting. shoulder spaced from the front edge thereof; means whereby said bar may be engaged from the. exterior of said door so as to raise said bar to a position; with the end thereof projecting from said upper edge of. said door; and lock means to engage said bar so as to hold the same in raised position.

7.. For use in. combination with an overhead garage door rotatable about a horizontal axis and frame of the character described, a locking means comprising cooperating locking members mounted on, said door and on the door frame, one of said. members comprising a thrust member andtheother comprising an abutment member, means supporting said thrust member so' thatit may be moved from a retracted position tov an engaging position, said thrust member be- .ing disposed as a chord to an are generated around the axis of rotation of said door at least when it is in said engaging position, and said abutment member being placed so that it will be engageable by the end face of said thrust member to produce an end thrust in said thrust member when movement of said door out of closed position is attempted; and means for moving said thrust member between retracted and engaging positions.

8. For use in combination with an overhead garage door rotatable about a horizontal axis and frame of the character described, a locking means comprising a thrust member; means for supporting said thrust member on the upper portion of said door so that it may be moved from a retracted position to an engaging position wherein it is disposed as a chord to an are generated around the axis of rotation of said door; an abutment member mounted on said frame in a position to clear said door and to be engageable by said thrust member whereby its reaction to movement of said thrust member as said door is urged toward open position will exert an end thrust in said member; and means for moving said thrust member between its retracted and engaging position.

9. For use in combination with an overhead garage door rotatable about a horizontal axis and frame of the character described, a locking means comprising a thrust member; means for supporting said thrust member on the upper portion of said door so that it may be moved from a retracted position to an engaging position wherein it is disposed as a chord to an are generated around the axis of rotation of said door; an abutment member mounted on said frame in a position to clear said door and to be engageable by said thrust member whereby its reaction to movement of said thrust member as said door is urged toward open position will exert an end thrust in said member; and lock controlled means for moving said thrust member between its retracted and engaging position.

10. For use in combination with an overhead garage door rotatable about a horizontal axis and frame of the character described, a locking means comprising a thrust member; means for supporting said thrust member on the upper portion of said door so that it may be moved from a retracted position to an engaging position wherein it is disposed as a chord. to an arc generated around the axis of rotation of said door; an abutment member mounted on said frame in a position to clear said door and to be engageable by said thrust member whereby its reaction to movement of said thrust member as said door is urged toward open position will exert an end thrust in said member; an actuating member extending from said thrust member to an intermediate position on the door, there being means to move said actuating member so as to move said thrust member between retracted and engaging positions; and lock means for controlling movement of said actuating member.

11. For use in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, a locking means comprising engageable locking members on the upper portion of said door and the upper part of said door frame and being disposed on opposite sides of the arc of movement of the upper portion of said door; a support movably supporting one of said members so that it may be moved across said are of movement into a position of engagement with the other of said members wherein the end face of the movable member makes thrust engagement with the other of said members; and means to produce said engagement of said locking members.

12. For use in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, a locking means comprising a locking plate carried by said frame in a position above the upper edge of said door in its closed position; a locking member; means for mounting said locking member on said door so that it may be projected from said door into position for thrust engagement with said locking plate, there being means of interengagement between said plate and said member to resist inward springing of the upper part of said door; and means for moving said locking member into projecting position.

13. For use in combination with a garage door swingable to and from closed relation to a door frame on a horizontal axis, a locking means comprising a locking plate carried by said frame in a position above the upper edge of said door in its closed position; a locking member, means for mounting said locking member on said door so that it may be projected from said door into a position to make thrust engagement with said locking plate; means for moving said locking member; and means for holding said projectible member in its position of engagement with said locking plate.

ELMER M. ONEIL. 

